It does bother me, and I don't know why. Its probably because I hate seeing people ride a horse like 10 times and call themselves experts. So when I see someone wearing riding clothes when they don't ride I start thinking that they are trying to look like experienced riders when they arnt.
One time I was going on a trail ride and while I was waiting to mount my horse I heard this little girl talking to her mum, she was saying how she's already been on 4 trail rides and her jeans are rubbing, so she wanted jodphurs, riding boots and gloves. Now I know that around here, all that would cost a minimum of $150 and that's only if you buy the cheapest stuff. And then I heard the mum agreeing to this, so basically this girl was about to buy over $150 worth of riding gear because she goes on a trail ride once in a while.
Sorry I turned this into kind of a rant. I know this really shouldn't be bothering me, since its their choice if they want to buy expensive gear just to walk around in, but I just can't help and get annoyed when I see it.

I like the style of riding clothes, both English and western, so that's okay. And I live in the West, so western wear is a regional statement, not just for those who need it.

Some clothing manufacturers have taken features of western clothing and made them, um... immodest. I am offended by that.

The other thing is that we used to be able to take our functional items of clothing off our taxes. Hats, helmets, boots, etc. Shortly after the inane movie "Urban Cowboy" came out and western clothing became popular, that went away.

The popularity of riding type clothing has also increased the prices of good pieces and introduced low quality items into the market.

I don't like the gear being sexualized... Yeah, tell me I'm living under a rock lol. I'm old school and modest. My Dad called me a prude a couple years ago, my husband disagrees (thankfully).

Sexualizing equestrian gear not being used for riding offends me (because I let it, when I shouldn't). Otherwise, I just snort and smirk when I see the prissy girls wearing clothes/boots/etc intended for riding, who more than likely would not get within a certain proximity of the horse in fear of getting "dirty."

Wonder how I could teach my horse to clear her nostrils in the presence of said prissy's ;)

Overall it doesn't bother me, if they want to shell out the coin for equipment they'll use improperly, go for it. Meh.

Does it bother me? Not in the least. I can't see why it would bother anyone, personally.

No kidding. Maybe it is because I am old but I often wonder why some folks spend so much energy worrying about what others do. If it doesn't hurt anyone or any animal, then who cares what they wear? Honestly I am sometimes shocked with all the petty concerns come folks have.

Again, maybe it is because I am old, or because I work in a hospital and see people every day that truly do have something worth worrying about. What others wear, isn't even on my radar as long as their parts are covered.

It doesn't bother me at all, although on the flipside I can't say honestly that it's something I've ever seen around here at least. I would think that the person wearing the clothing would be more embarrassed in the end when they are asked by an experienced rider "How was your ride?", and they had absolutely no idea what you were talking about.

Am I bothered by the fact that somebody, even an actual rider, can wear all sorts of fancy gear and think that they're a Pro? Absolutely not – if there's one thing that most of us here know it's that the gear doesn't make the rider – to the contrary sometimes the people with the fanciest gear are actually the worst riders since they spent more money on what they're wearing then actual saddle time. The latter makes the rider, nor the former.

It's the people with the old, worn, dirt encrusted and beat up riding gear you need to pay attention to. ;)Posted via Mobile Device

I was in line at Dunkins one Sunday morning & noticed all the girls in line were essentially wearing the same "outfit" I was. But they all looked so neat & clean and my tall boots looked pretty grubby in comparison. I am sure all none of them would be caught dead with all my "equestrian scented" gear.Posted via Mobile Device

I always look at the 'riding' boots these fashionista types are wearing. If there is no muck or evidence that they've been anywhere but walking on a city sidewalk, then I know they are an 'imposter', lol.

Register Now

In order to be able to post messages on the The Horse Forum forums, you must first register.

Already have a Horse Forum account?
Members are allowed only one account per person at the Horse Forum, so if you've made an account here in the past you'll need to continue using that account. Please do not create a new account or you may lose access to the Horse Forum. If you need help recovering your existing account, please Contact Us. We'll be glad to help!

New to the Horse Forum?Please choose a username you will be satisfied with using for the duration of your membership at the Horse Forum. We do not change members' usernames upon request because that would make it difficult for everyone to keep track of who is who on the forum. For that reason, please do not incorporate your horse's name into your username so that you are not stuck with a username related to a horse you may no longer have some day, or use any other username you may no longer identify with or care for in the future.

User Name:

Password

Please enter a password for your user account. Note that passwords are case-sensitive.

Password:

Confirm Password:

Email Address

Please enter a valid email address for yourself.

Email Address:

Log-in

User Name

Remember Me?

Password

Human Verification

In order to verify that you are a human and not a spam bot, please enter the answer into the following box below based on the instructions contained in the graphic.

Old Thread Warning

This thread is more than 90 days old. When a thread is this old, it is often better to start a new thread rather than post to it. However, If you feel you have something of value to add to this particular thread, you can do so by checking the box below before submitting your post.I am aware that this is an old thread and I want to revive it rather than starting a new thread.